That was until I saw the recipe for these Everything Bagel Bites. I love making homemade bagels but shaping them is sometimes a pain. This recipe avoids that by cutting them into nuggets. However, it also results in a dangerously poppable treat as I downed 6 before I even knew what happened. I was just standing in my kitchen testing them out before photographing and could not stop! Pairing them with a bacon-scallion cream cheese dip just enhances this effect.

As a side note: I have discovered one benefit to the summer heat – letting dough rise outside! Yup, I set the dough for these bagel bites outside to rise, covered and in the shade. I am a genius.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in the warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, 1/4 cup sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the oil and yeast mixture.

Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes or use a stand mixer with the hook attachment. While the dough is coming together, watch it to see if it is looking dry. If so add a tablespoon or so of water until slightly tacky but doesn’t stick to your fingers.

Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Lightly coat the dough with oil as well. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 – 2 hours.

While the dough rises, prepare the cream cheese dip and bagel topping. In a medium pan, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove, crumble and reserve bacon fat. In a medium bowl, blend together the Greek yogurt and cream cheese. Stir in bacon fat, bacon crumbles, and remaining ingredients. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. In a small zip-top baggie, combine all topping ingredients and shake.

When the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, set aside.

Place the baking soda and water into a pot and bring to a boil while preparing the dough.

Put the risen dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1-inch thick (do not re-knead) and cut into 1 to 1.5-inch pieces (I cut each rope into six pieces to get 36 total).

Once all of the dough is all shaped, drop into the boiling water 6 at a time. Let boil for about 10 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with the everything bagel topping, and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve warm with dip or mustard. Best the first day.